Foundry composition and method



slum nitrate, sodium alum or oni car-a bonate. One or more of these materials are readily available in most localities. Since only a relatively small amount of one of these materials is required-to achieve the desired result by my in'- vention, their use is not expensive. This is paiticularly true because the materials themselves are inexpensive.

I have found that when bentonite is chemically treated with an acid or an acid salt and is then used as a bonding material, it imparts to the mold a dry strength materially less than that resulting from the use of untreated bentonite alone. The dry strength of -themold varies inversely as the amount of acid or acid salt blended with the bentonite. Thus the result of using a certain amount of treating Vmaterial is definitely pre y dictable.

I have found that the same result will not follow where the salt used is basic in nature. A basic salt mixed with ben-tonite will cause the mold dry strength to increase, rather than de crease, until an excess of such salt has been added, when the dry strength decreases.

The patent to Hanley No. 1,657,573 discloses that when bentonite is mixed with sand and wa ter each minute particle of the bentonite which is attached to any sand grain will swell up an appreciable extent and spread over the grain in the form of a sticky, gelatinous iilm. This will cause eachgrain to effectively adhere to the adjacent grains without iilling up the spaces between them. A possible explanation for the ac tion of acid and acid salts on bentonite is that they increase its viscosity and thus reduce its spreading ability so that it does not bind as many grains of the sand as it does in its'untreated con-v dition. I do not desire, however, to be bound by this explanation.

In practicing my invention, an acid salt, such as potassium nitrate, sodium alum or ammonium carbonate, may be mixed with bentonite when both are in a dry condition before adding the bentonite to the sand. Equally good results are achieved when the dry salts are added to. the

sand at the same time the bentonite is mixed therewith. Another satisfactory manner of introducing the salts is by dissolving them in the water used to temper the sand. Still another method of treating the bentonite lies in using a dilute solution of inorganic acid, such as. hydrochloricacid, in place oi.' the tempering water.

When acid salts are added lin a dry condition, the bentonite and salt are mixed in a muller mixer, then are added to the sand in the propor tions of 95% sand and 5% binder and are mixed with it for one minute. As an alternative method, the sand and bentonite in the proportions of 95% sand and 5% bentonite may be placed in a muller mixer together with the salts and may be mixed dry for one minute. In either method, tempering water is then added in sumcient amount to givea moist workable mass, about 3% water generally being suillcient, and the mixing is continued for tour more minutes. The composition is then ready for use in a mold.

When the bentonite is treated by a dilute acid or by an aqueous solution'of an acid salt, the same method of preparing the composition is em.- ployed except, of course, that no salt need then be mixed dry with the bentonite and sand. In this method, the acid or acid salt solution is used as a substitute for the 3% of tempering water used in .the other method.

To compare the strengths of molds using agences treated and untreated bentonite respectively as a binder, I prepared several molds according to the above-outlined procedure, that is, by mixing sand and 5% bentonite for one :n 'i1 ute, then adding 3% tempering water'and mixing for four more minutes. I then conducted strength testsin accordance with recommenda tions of the American Foundrymens Association in its bool: Testing and Grading Foundry Sands and Clays, published in 1933. The resultant green and dry strengths of the molds cont L'rif treated `and untreated bentonite are given inthe following table. The percentages of salt listed 'represent the proportion of the sait to the bentonite by weight. The percentages of acid given represent the proportion of the volume of con centrated acid to the volume oi' the tempering water employed.

Sand mold compositions Green eom- Dry cornl Bonding material pression pression strength strength Pounds per Pminda per square inch square inch 5% untreated bentonite 7. 64 76. 1 5% bentonite lus- 1% potass um nitrate. 7. 28 67. 4 2% potassium nitrate 7. 32 m. 4% potassium nitrate 6. 69 4l. 5% bentonite plus 17 sodium alum 8.16 67. 2% sodium alum 8. 52 64. 4% sodium alum 8. 70 57. 5% bentonite plus- 1% ammonium carbonate 7. 77 5B, 2% ammonium carbonate 8.15 53. 4% ammonium carbonate 7. 15 40. 5% bentonite plus- 3.33 a hydrochloric acid in water. 7. 95 73. 8.33 0 hydrochlo ic acid in water. 7. 43 40. 16.55% hydrochl ric acid in water. 7. 29 32.

From an inspection of the above table, it will be seen that not only can the dry strength be modified by adding certain amounts of acids or acid salts but also that the green strength can be changed to some extent. Thus, a binder conf taining 4% potassium nitrate will produce a mold i having a 'green compression strength oi 6.69A

ventional jolt machine. The sand packs tightly about the pattern. A smooth surface results accurately following the details of the pattern. The mold is strong and durable. It is well 'retained in the cope as it is lifted from the drag to remove the pattern. The mold from which the pattern is withdrawn is clean-cut and free of edge breaks and cracks. A minimum of re- .pair to the mold before use, therefore, is reduired. At the same time, however, the` mold is 'orus and readily permeable to the fumes au gases encountered in actual practical use. ,i

Moreover, by using the method of mygzinvention, it is easy to prepare a mold having-any desired strength- The amount of acid or salt which must be used for a certain mold strength is denitely predictable as the strength varies inversely yas to the amount of treating material used.

Furthermore, where a certain small percentage of treating material is used as herein outlined, the mold in a dry condition is 'not caked or hardened. Hence it is possible to recover the moldina material by a screening operation for reuse in combination with clean sand.

hy virtue of my invention, in any locality where bentonite clay is readily available, that is in the western part ci the country, an inexpensive molding material can be prepared which is suitable for the particular casting being made. ttor a heavy casting, such as a machine base, hentonite alone or in combination with a very sali amount of acid or salt is used as a binder, so that the mold dry strength is high. Where an intermediate dry strength is desired, for a medivveight casting, a larger percentage of acid or salt is used. Where the casting is to be a liaht, thin-walled article, a mold -ojf low dry strenath is desired and for this purpose still more oi the acid or salt is introduced into the hinder., When the mold strength is low, a thin cantina can contract upon cooling without danner oi being cracked by an unyielding mold part. The interior part of a low strength mold collapses upon cooling and thus allows unimpeded contraction of the casting.

us, it will be seen that there has been pro' 'many applications, particularly as a binder in sand.

although my inventonhas been described in connection with a mold, it will be undersood that it is also applicable to other foundry uses. It is suitable for application to the construction of cores and facing materials.

Furthermore, my bonding material may be used in combination with new silicia sand, burnt silica sand. new molding sand, burnt molding sand, laire sand or bank sand. Also, small quantities oi neutral auxiliary binders, such as cereal binders, cement, goulac, pitch or rosin and castina cleaning elements, such as sea coal, wood, door or oils may be added.

i e the amount of bonding material is illustratively given as about of the weight of the sand with which it is mixed, it will be' understood that good results are obtained when the amount oi bonding material varies from about 2% to 8% oi the sand weight. In fact, these proportions' can be extended to l/2% to 8% where a part of the sand is burnt sand, since the bonding material is reversible in character and that present in the burnt sand is called into play, thus decreasinaf the amount which need be added.

Similarly, While the acidsalt added to the bentonite, as given in the table, amounts to some l% to 4% oi the bentonite used, l find that it frequently is advantageous to extend this range from, say, V2% to 10% by weight of bentonite. So, also, Where an inorganic acid is employed, this man range from some l% to 25% by volume -of tempering water.

ns many possible embodiments may be made oi my invention and as many changes may be'made in the embodiments hereinbeiore set forth, it is to be understood that allmatt'er described herein is to be interpreted illustratively and not in a limiting sense.

l claim: Y

l. In a composition oi matter, a foundry composition comprising in combination, sand, and one-halt per cent to 8 per cent of a bonding material, said bonding material comprising bentonite and one of the group oi potassium nitrate, sodium alum and ammonium carbonate in the amount of l/2 per cent to lo per cent by weight of the bentonite.

2. In preparing a composition for foundry purposes, the art which consists of dry mixing sand with about one-half per cent to d per cent bentonite by Weight, tempering the mixture with a small amount of an aqueous solution of one of the group consisting of potassium nitrate, sodium alum and ammonium carbonate, and mixing the materials in a wet condition,

3. In preparing a composition for foundry purposes, the art which consists oi dry mixing bentonite, sand, and a small amount of one of the group of salts consisting of potassium nitrate, sodium alum and ammonium carbonate, the bentonite and salt together comprising one-half per cent to 8 per cent of the weight of said sand;

tempering the mixture with a small amount oi ing of potassium nitrate, sodium alum and ammonium carbonate, in a dry condition.

5. In a composition of matter of the class described, a ioundry binder comprising, in combination, bentonite and potassium nitrate.

6. In a composition of matter of the class described, a foundry binder comprising, in combination, bentonite and sodium alum.

'1. In a composition of matter of the class described, a foundry binder comprising, in combination, bentonite and ammonium carbonate.

NORMAN J. DUNEC'K. 

